Astros beat Class AA affiliate Corpus Christi Hooks 6-2

With 7,316 on hand including former Astros owner and ceremonial first-pitch hurler Drayton McLane on hand, the Astros beat their Class AA affiliate Corpus Christi 6-2 on a festive night at Whataburger Field.

Brad Mills strayed from his original plan of keeping his starters in just two innings, allowing most to go five in front of an appreciative crowd that gathered early for autographs from former Hooks recent fan favorites like Jose Altuve and J.D. Martinez.

While this year’s Hooks club may not be a direct feed into the majors like it was when Altuve, Martinez and Jimmy Paredes made the direct leap last year, there is little doubt it will be the top collection of prospects in the Astros organization.

The consensus top pitching prospect Jarred Cosart and top offensive prospect Jonathan Singleton will both call Whataburger Field home a season after coming from the Phillies in the Hunter Pence trade. Joining them will be some other significant recent trade acquisitions, shortstop Jonathan Villar (Roy Oswalt trade) and lefthanded pitchers Brett Oberholtzer (Michael Bourn trade) and Kevin Chapman (Humberto Quintero/Jason Bourgeois trade).

“We’ve gotten that influx of prospects through trades and various other ways, not only here but even below us,” Hooks manager Keith Bodie said. “There’s really some good players coming along.”

The Hooks and the other full-season minor league affiliates open their seasons Thursday.

Relative chance

Another day off the field meant more pessimism regarding Jed Lowrie’s potential to be available for opening day with his jammed thumb. General manager Jeff Luhnow said there was a chance, but a chance was relative.

“I guess there’s a chance, but he’d have to progress a lot in the next couple of days,” Luhnow said.

Should Lowrie start the season on the 15-day disabled list, the Astros could back-date it to the last time he played and allow him to return April 13 – the seventh game of the season.

Jordan Schafer is tentatively in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s exhibition at Minute Maid Park against the White Sox. Schafer has not played in more than two weeks with a sprained hand.

Hero’s welcome

If there was any doubt that this was just an exhibition in good fun, it ended when No. 85 found his way into the game. There isn’t an 85 on the Astros roster unless you look into the section of field staff to find bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte, and that’s exactly who came into the game to run for Jason Castro in the seventh and step to the plate as DH.

What was in part a way to keep Castro out of a possible collision at the plate as he stood on third with one out, was also a premeditated “something that kind of brings the team together,” manager Brad Mills said.

Bracamonte had been told before the game that Mills would have a surprise for him and that came in the form of a plate appearance. The surprise to the dugout was a foul ball shot in their direction. The surprise to the rest of us was that he worked a seven-pitch walk.